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Legendary investor Charlie Munger who is the chairman of the Daily Journal’s board headlined the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Corporation (DJCO) in Los Angeles on Wednesday February 24.
He fielded shareholder questions on completely different subjects starting from SPACs, the bitcoin frenzy, the rocketing worth of Tesla, and much more.
In one of many questions, the billionaire investor was requested whether or not he thought it was crazier for bitcoin to hit $50,000 or for Tesla to achieve a $1 trillion absolutely diluted enterprise worth, he stated:
“Well I have the same difficulty that Samuel Johnson once had when he got a similar question, he said, ‘I can’t decide the order of precedency between a flea and a louse,’ and I feel the same way about those choices. I don’t know which is worse.”
Tesla has been on a roll because the starting of pandemic final yr, with its share worth rising to 743% final yr. Its market cap is presently $689 billion.
Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk‘s whole wealth jumped from $24.6 billion in March 2020 to a document $210 billion in January 2021, making him the richest particular person on the earth for the primary time – a standing he loved until Tuesday when he slipped to the quantity two place after a 3% decline in Tesla’s share. Jeff Bezos took again the primary spot.
Bitcoin alternatively has continued to surge to more than $50,000 over the previous week after Tesla introduced it purchased $1.5 billion value of the cryptocurrency.
Munger, the vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway and Warren Buffett’s longtime enterprise accomplice, was additionally requested concerning the largest menace to banking, and whether or not it was bitcoin or digital wallets like Apple Pay and Square.
“I don’t think I know what the future of banking is, and I don’t think I know how the payment system will evolve,” he stated. “I do think that a properly run bank is a great contributor to civilization and that the central banks of the world like controlling their own banking system and their own money supplies.”
“So I don’t think bitcoin is going to end up the medium of exchange for the world. It’s too volatile to serve well as a medium of exchange. And it’s really kind of an artificial substitute for gold. And since I never buy any gold, I never buy any bitcoin.”
Munger, 97, advisable others comply with his follow. “Bitcoin reminds me of what Oscar Wilde said about fox hunting. He said it was the pursuit of the uneatable by the unspeakable,” he added.
Munger additionally warned that novice buyers are being lured right into a buying and selling bubble via apps like Robinhood.
Talking about the recent Reddit-fueled GameStop short-squeeze, Munger stated it is “the kind of thing that can happen when you get a whole lot of people who are using liquid stock markets to gamble the way they would in betting on racehorses.”
He added that the “frenzy is fed by people who are getting commissions and other revenues out of this new bunch of gamblers. And of course, when things get extreme, you have things like that short squeeze.”
Watch the total interview under


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Embattled five-a-side football operator Goals has put itself up for sale this morning, following a torrid six months that has been clouded by accusations of tax fraud.
Goals Soccer Centres, which is part owned by retail magnate Mike Ashley, has said today that it is inviting offers for both the business and the assets belonging to the firm, which is set to delist on 30 September in the wake of major issues with its balance sheet.
The troubled company’s hunt for a buyer, which is being conducted by big four accountancy firm Deloitte, has not been given a timetable or deadline.
“Shareholders will continue to be kept informed of developments as appropriate,” the group said this morning.
Today’s news comes after a turbulent period for Goals, which suspended trading in its shares on London’s Alternative Investment Market (Aim) in March after discovering a potential £12m unpaid tax bill.
Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct, which owns a near-19 per cent stake in Goals, has been tipped as a potential bidder, following his major recent shopping spree that included the acquisition of House of Fraser and Evans Cycles.
Read more: Ashley’s Sports Direct buys Jack Wills
Earlier this month Goals confirmed it was investigating its former chief executive and chief financial officer in connection to the accounting scandal.
Former chief executive Keith Rogers and former chief finance officer Bill Gow had been named in reports as subjects of investigations.

domain: news


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A New York Times business feature on PepsiCo’s support of Mexican corn farmers has thrust a glowing light on the firm’s business practices, while simultaneously beating the anachronistic drum against the value of corporate social responsibility (CSR).
Reporter Stephanie Strom provides an interesting overview of how over 300 poor farmers in San Gabriel, Mexico have benefited by doing business directly with PepsiCo’s local processing centers. Looking to minimize marginal cost by avoiding the middle man, PepsiCo launched a pilot project through one of its local brands, the Sabritas snack food division, to expand a local source for sunflower oil. According to PepsiCo, increasing the volume of sunflower oil used in its products helps the company develop a healthier brand portfolio.
As for the farmers, the contracts they sign with PepsiCo guarantee a per unit price a priori allowing the farmers to secure the credit and other financing they need to buy seeds and fertilizer. PepsiCo wins by securing a price for corn rather than succumbing to the vagaries of the commodity markets, and the farmers win by having guaranteed sources of fixed income. The article also reports that many of these same farmers used to make risky, seasonal treks to the US to pay off debts incurred through the cultivation of their small parcels of land.
PepsiCo, seeing the obvious business benefit of the sourcing strategy, plans to expand the program to include as many as 850 farmers.
After focusing on PepsiCo’s sunflower oil supply chain in Mexico, Strom then pans out to look at other examples of corporate “social business” endeavors. She cites Danone’s well known deployment of a high-vitamin yogurt in Bangladesh (often sold by poor women) and Philips Electronics’ venture to sell solar-powered lighting products in Africa.
And then sadly we return to this antiquated and amateurish war of semantics:
“We are seeing an increased focus by companies looking to see how they can use their core capabilities for public good rather than simply writing a big check,” said Gaurav Gupta, regional director for Asia at Dalberg Global Development Advisors, a consulting firm focused on international development. “They’re starting to realize that the marginal cost of doing a little extra good produces such a great impact — and not only in terms of good will, but also because it’s good for business.”
Mr. Gupta stressed that what was emerging was not “corporate social responsibility,” a loosely defined concept typically driven by corporate marketing departments, which he said was “largely nonsense.”
There’s no doubt that CSR programs were largely spawned by an interest in reputation management. But Mr. Gupta’s quote about CSR being “nonsense” is absolutely hypocritical and patently false.
PepsiCo’s Mexican farmer strategy is bourne out of its overall global CSR strategy. CSR initiatives that do not provide bottom line returns may kick around for a little while, but will eventually fail — this pays no long term PR dividends.
Dalberg Global Development Advisors, which doesn’t report its corporate client roster on its website, no doubt does contracted work for CSR initiatives. I suspect these accounts have varying degrees of social returns, but can we please put to rest this notion that CSR is about marketing?
A firm that pursues CSR for the exclusive purpose of brand equity rather than on material business grounds will find no value in the endeavor. If we can’t agree on the semantics — CSR, CR, corporate citizenship, sustainability, etc. — can we at least be resolved to say the field is evolving and each firm must create its own path with unique business goals?
Image credit by bengarland via Flickr under a CC license


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6 New Amazon Ad Features You Need to Know About
Recently, Amazon announced a whole bunch of new and exciting advertising features which are set to comprehensively overhaul previous Amazon advertising exploits. The online retail behemoth has always kept its latest developments tightly under wraps, but with Amazon bracing itself for some severe economic challenges ahead, this uncertain landscape has certainly played a huge part in shaping their relatively new and transparent approach to communications.
A lot of these new Amazon advertising features represent a much easier way for emerging brands and budding PPC experts to improve their visibility, and ultimately get their foot in the door in the sector.
So, with this in mind, we thought PPC Geeks would take a much closer look at these six brand new Amazon advertising features and predict what impact they may have on the industry in general.
Users can now insert an Amazon shopping credit directly into their Sponsored Display ads. Customers will then receive the reward by clicking on the ad and purchasing the product.
Amazingly, 92% of adults surveyed noted that they would be more likely to interact with an ad if they were to be rewarded with an Amazon shopping credit for doing so. This shows us how vital it is to demonstrate added value when it comes to advertising your product. It is also important to incentivise your users to interact with your ad.
Nevertheless, this new type of display ad is without question one of the most exciting Amazon marketing announcements in a long while. This is due to it being a completely new feature that nobody has ever seen before. When this is introduced in the UK, we are expecting a great response.
Sponsored Display Video Ads are a new device that lets creatives produce expert video campaigns that advertise their products to Amazon’s record-breaking customer base.
There’s no denying that professional video production can be expensive, but with this new feature, Google Shopping agencies at all levels can dip their toe into the professional video creation pool for just a fraction of the usual cost.
This new ad feature is certainly an upgrade on the standard video builder feature. Amazon has certainly identified the desire for more professional looking video content and are trying to support businesses with their rich media requests.
Digital Signage Ads are one of the newest features Amazon has launched in years. These Ads will predominantly feature in Amazon Fresh stores across the world, though these are mostly based in the US.
Indeed, while the usage of Digital Signage Ads are very low, you’d be wrong to think that they won’t be one of the most popular advertising assets in years to come.
Thanks to Sponsored Campaign Presents, Amazon has reported a 77% increase in clicks and a 29% boost in conversions.
Presents are Amazon-recommended campaign insights which include daily budgets and bidding strategies. These are now automatically included in the ads console.
Without doubt, these new features could be massively beneficial for new businesses starting out on their initial Amazon journey with a new PPC agency.
Yet another new advertising feature that Amazon has added to its roster is digital subscription events for its Amazon Marketing Cloud. This includes more pre-built instructional models and the ability to manage DSP audiences within the cloud.
Indeed, this offers more actionable metrics and increased interpretation across your ad suite, helping you to operate more efficiently and freely.
Performance recommendations are in-house, usable best practices for Sponsored Product campaigns.
Performance recommendations will aim to encourage marketers to use the ads console while performance recommendations will work tirelessly in the background, constantly looking for Sponsored Products campaign tips that can be applied quickly. These tips may include new keywords or phrases to rank for or bid suggestions.
Indeed, performance recommendations will create an invaluable feedback loop for advertisers.
We pride ourselves on what we achieve for our clients on a daily basis. Great results, and maximising their Amazon advertising strategy. Contact PPC Geeks to see how we can help boost your profits when advertising on Amazon.
And don’t forget, PPC Geeks is also the best PPC management agency in the UK, and one of the top three PPC agencies in the world, meaning you can always guarantee a level of service that is unmatched.
We always have your best interests in mind. If you require any help or want to improve your PPC or Google Ads, then invest in one of our 100% FREE PPC audits or Google Ads audits?


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Reduce and Reuse, not just Recycle
This week’s blog post focuses on the topic of recycling and its two lesser known counterparts: reduce and reuse. The post is written by Monthly Blog Correspondent, Zara M, a Drummers alumni. She digs into landfill and recycling statistics, while cycling through her thoughts to offer up some suggestions to all of us.
Recycling is a topic that most Americans are aware of and an activity that many participate in. People all across the country throw soda cans and newspapers into recycle bins and feel good about their contribution to the economy and the environment. Although there is evidence of recycling occurring as far back as 9th century Japan, the idea has only been mainstream in America since the 1970’s (“A Brief History of Recycling”).
Today we are aware of recycling’s positive impact on not just the economy, but also the environment. For example, the energy saved from recycling just one glass jar is equivalent to the amount of energy used to power a 100-watt light-bulb for four hours (“Rinkesh”).
Recycling’s benefits to the environment are undeniable, but it has some shortcomings that aren’t always addressed. Many people believe the process of recycling stops after they have thrown their trash into the recycle bin. To be honest, I never thought of what happens to the waste after it is wheeled it out to the curb every Thursday night. More specifically, I never considered the fact that recycling facilities have to turn around and sell my recycled waste to manufacturers. During my research, I learned that, unfortunately, there are times when recycled trash ends up in landfills, even though it was meant to be recycled. Say for example paper prices drop dramatically. As a result, recycling facilities will likely stock up on cardboard and other papers because they can’t generate enough revenue by processing and selling it. But if the market never turns around they could run out of holding space and end up disposing of the paper products into a landfill (“Westervelt, Amy”).
I learned another startling fact about recycling: the national recycling rate has remained stagnant at around 34.5% for almost two decades (“General Recycling Facts.”). There are multiple theories as to why this has occurred, but I believe there is something even more important than trying to solve the mystery of the stagnant recycling rates. Many Americans forget that recycling is only one tier in a three tiered hierarchy. The other two, and actually more important, tiers are reduce and reuse. I came across a quote by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that I think sums it up perfectly, “The most effective way to reduce waste is to not create it in the first place” (“Reducing and Reusing Basics.”).
Although the names are pretty self-explanatory, ‘reduce’ means to limit what you buy and ‘reuse’ means to use the items you have bought as many times as possible before replacing them.
Here is a short list of ways we can reduce and reuse that would have a meaningful impact on our environment:
- shave with a reusable razor as opposed to disposable ones
- carry your own coffee cup to be filled as opposed to getting disposable ones
- bring reusable grocery bags to the supermarket instead of plastic ones
- wash and reuse plastic silverware and party cups
- buy food in bulk as opposed to individually packaged items
- pack snacks in reusable bags instead of disposable plastic zip baggies
I am not at all suggesting that it isn’t important to continue to recycle and try to raise the national recycling rates. I do think, however, that it is just as important to spread the word of reducing and reusing as it is to educate people about recycling. Living in America today makes it very hard to reduce and reuse. When we go to the grocery store, it is nearly impossible to buy food, especially snacks, that aren’t individually wrapped. There aren’t many stores that sell rice, coffee, beans, etc. that customers can purchase in their own jars. Instead the trend seems to be just the opposite. More and more manufacturers are introducing individual snack packs, pouches and items for convenient one-time use. We need to spread the word, not only to individuals, but also to large companies and manufacturers about the benefits of reducing and reusing. Imagine the impact we could have!


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Following the launch of its latest models, OnePlus is already preparing its successors. Thus, rumors are beginning to emerge that account for OnePlus 8 Lite, a new smartphone that will be developed to attack the mid-range market.
With weighted arguments and a lower price tag than the high-end smartphone, this may be the ideal move to set the Chinese manufacturer in the limelight!
OnePlus, in recent years, has been dedicated mainly to the development of high-end smartphones. They stand out for the best specifications the market has, but at a lower price than the technology giants.
An alternative step in this direction was taken in 2015 with OnePlus X, a mid-range smartphone that has had considerable commercial success. Now the latest rumors indicate the existence of a successor!
With the development of the next generation of smartphones, the Chinese manufacturer seems to have a mid-range smartphone again. As in your first attempt, we should be dealing with a premium device but with less powerful specifications.
This information was advanced by user @OnLeaks on Twitter, who is famous for his rumors that often turn out to be accurate!
In addition, a collaboration has resulted in the creation of renders relative to what OnePlus 8 Lite can offer. From the images, you can see the existence of a 6.5″ smartphone with a notch identical to the Samsung Galaxy Note10.
At the rear, the two cameras stand out in a module whose design has been used by several manufacturers. Apple, Samsung and Google already have offers with this style in the market and it seems that OnePlus could follow this line of design!
Guess what?! Seems like #OnePlus is about to launch a more affordable device!
Here comes your very first look at that yet unknown and nameless OnePlus mid-ranger!
360° video + gorgeous 5K renders + dimensions, on behalf of my Friends over @91mobiles -> https://t.co/x5nY3PsbqJ pic.twitter.com/YDubTx7td0
— Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) December 7, 2019
The other specifications of the smartphone are unknown, as is their price and release date.
It will be interesting to see how the market will react to another offer from the Chinese manufacturer. Do you think OnePlus 8 Lite can drive innovation in the mid-smartphone segment?


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Produce sellers risk bigger fines for breaching new Horticulture Code
The revised Horticulture Code of Conduct has come into effect on 1 April 2017.
The changes now mean that fresh produce traders and agents are at risk of being fined up to $54, 000 for each breach of the Code.
Australian Competition, and Consumer Commissioner, Mick Keogh, said the revised Code will provide increased protection to Australian fruit and vegetable farmers.
“Farmers producing fruit and vegetables will be given increased protection under the Horticulture Code as it improves competition and commercial practices in fresh fruit and vegetable markets in Australia,” he said.
Under the new Code, traders and agents will be required to provide clear documentation of their general trading terms, and have written agreements in place with their farmer clients to help avoid any uncertainty.
The new Code also removes the provision in the existing Code that exempted all pre-existing trading agreements.
“From 1 April 2018, the Code will apply to all transactions between farmers and agents or merchants, regardless of when any trading agreement was put in place,” Commissioner Keogh said.
New powers given to the ACCC
The new powers given to the ACCC under the revised Code will allow the regulation authority to:
- Issue infringement notices of up to $9, 000 for businesses and $1, 800 for individuals
- Seek penalties of up to $54, 000 in court for breaches of certain Code provisions
Businesses need to act in good faith
The ACCC said an important element of the new Code is that it requires negotiating parties to act in good faith or face potential fines.
“Farmers deserve fairness and honesty from their trading partners and the good faith requirement will help ensure they aren’t subjected to illegitimate business conduct,” Commissioner Keogh stated.
- Fed gov responds toHorticulture Code of Conduct review
- Horticulture Code review announced but industry transparency still a concern, potential for extension to retailers
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Bellamy’s has appointed ex-Fosters Managing Director, John Murphy, as its new non-executive independ...
Woolworths is now the official supermarket and fresh food partner of Netball Australia.
A RMIT University study has found Australians growing veggie patches could be planting in areas cont...
Fonterra’s Chief Executive Officer Theo Spierings will be stepping down from the top position later ...


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England will go into a second national lockdown on Thursday, but luckily essential shops such as supermarkets will stay open.
But it is important customers adhere to strict rules in order to help stop the spread of coronavirus.
Throughout 2020 Brits have gotten used to social distancing and disinfecting trolleys.
But now Sainsbury’s has issued an urgent warning to customers in order to help slow the spread further.
The supermarket is asking people who can to only send one adult to stores.
Sainsbury’s tweeted: “To avoid overcrowding please shop one adult at a time”.
On the website, the supermarket chain further expands what they mean by this rule.
It says: “We are asking everyone to only send one adult per household to our shops where possible.
“This helps us keep people a safe distance apart and also helps to reduce queues to get into stores.”
If Sainsbury’s staff members see bigger groups of people, they may ask they to choose one adult to send into store.
The update explains: “Our store teams will be asking groups with more than one adult to choose one adult to shop and will ask other adults to wait.
“Children are welcome if they are not able to stay at home.”
Sainsbury’s also asks customers to follow official guidelines for shopping in-store, including wearing a face covering.
Customers are urged to keep a “safe distance from other customers and from our colleagues”, and to follow the “clear markings on floors”.
Sainsbury’s has also reduced the number of customers allowed in-store at any one time, and reduced the number of checkouts.


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Nigerian data firm Stears has raised $3.3 million in a seed round in which Serena William’s VC firm Serena Ventures participated.
The company said the funds will facilitate its expansion into East and Southern Africa and help expand its talent pool as well as data collection and analytics capabilities.
Stears was launched in 2017 as a media publication focusing on data insights. The founders, Michael Famoroti, an economist; Bode Ogunlana, a software engineer; Abdul Abdulrahim, a data scientist; and Preston Ideh, a corporate lawyer met while studying at the London School of Economics and the University of Oxford. They were alarmed at the difficulty of finding data and information on their home country Nigeria and set out to change the status quo.
Their flagship product was Stears Premium, a subscription-based insights publication that churns out content ranging from general news to investigative pieces. Their content range from business and finance to economy, and government among other subjects. The subscription costs $100.
“We have a strong understanding of the kind of information people need. So our focus is on standardizing information dissemination and building with the customer in mind,” Ide, one of the co-founders said, “An essential part of our business model is pushing out high-value subscription data products, for instance, proprietary forecast models. Conversely, the low-value end will be news, so customers’ willingness to spend changes as they go along the spectrum.”
As a result of deep engagement in the data world, Stears has morphed into a data and intelligence company, dishing out critical information on market entry, country analysis and digital economy for international organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and other entities.
The company’s model has ensured growth and sustainability, with enterprise customers now accounting for 75% of its revenues, a considerable rise from 45% last year.
The new funding incorporated MaC Venture Capital. Serena Ventures, Omidyar Group’s Luminate Fund, Melo 7 Tech Partners and Cascador (Empowering Economic Growth Foundation). Stears raised $650,000 in pre-seed funding two years ago. It’s also among this year’s cohort of Google for Startups Black Founders Fund.


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Today on In Case You Missed It: MIT and Stanford researchers created tiny robots that can grab onto clothes and walk on your shirt, with the goal of them one day, forming a swarm to create a temporary video screen and then marching back into a pocket, putting themselves away. Meanwhile Japanese scientists were able to create mice offspring from skin cells of adult mice. They're testing the method next with primates, so this is going to get even weirder.
In TL;DR, we're rounding up some of the biggest headlines from the week and we think it's particularly interesting to note how much money technology companies now spend on lobbying in Washington, D.C. (And share it with your friend who still thinks tech and politics aren't related.) Also if you need to send that smoking Samsung video to someone stat, the original video is here. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.


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COVID-19 has resulted in an unprecedented surge in online transactions. The analysis in the field shows that most of the gains aren’t going to disappear even after COVID-19. By the way, many of these online transactions are being completed by those who’re new in all this, and this, in its turn, is resulting in a problem for merchants. Let’s dig deeper into the topic and discover an expert processor, eMerchantBroker.
eCommerce Has Grown: eMerchantBroker
Did you know that eCommerce has exceeded levels not anticipated until 2025 because of COVID-19? eCommerce sales are projected to account for more than $843 billion in 2021.
So, COVID-19 has accelerated the recent year’s growth of eCommerce. On the one hand, eCommerce merchants are seeing new people stepping into the world of digital transactions. On the other hand, these new users are creating a problem of declined transactions.
The thing is that lots of new users aren’t familiar with internet shopping, and fraud systems very often decline them as they don’t recognize them or their behavior.
Forter reports that new users are 5 – 7 times more likely, as compared to returning users, to experience false declines. 40% of these declined customers are seen to go to a competitor without getting back ever.
With the current eCommerce developments in mind, it’s more vital than ever to find a true payment professional to work with. Consider turning to eMerchantBroker, the top high risk merchant processor in the U.S. This way, you can easily get approved for the safest and cheapest merchant processing services without delay.
Online Sales on the Rise
The volume of the global online retail is projected to increase further at the rate of about 15% by 2023. 76% of today’s shoppers consider convenience the top priority based on which they choose a retailer. Moreover, 81% need cross-device eCommerce experiences that can keep them away from friction.
By the way, 54.6% of consumers have reported to be using direct-to-consumer (D2C) channels for buying consumer-packaged goods (CPG), while COVID-19 was at its height, and this has to do with Practical eCommerce. According to McKinsey, COVID-19 has revealed that the application of technology is now more imperative than ever.
To wrap things up, COVID-19 has made shoppers switch to online channels for making purchases and processing transactions. Millions of new online customers have emerged. However, they’ve also led to false declines for merchants.
Author Bio: Blair Thomas has been a music producer, bouncer, screenwriter and for over a decade has been the proud Co-Founder of eMerchantBroker, the highest rated high risk merchant account processor in the country. He has climbed in the Himalayas, survived a hurricane, and lived on a gold mine in the Yukon. He currently calls Thailand his home with a lifetime collection of his favorite books.


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Tags: Tim Morris
Oshkosh Corporation company JLG Industries Inc. and Hinowa S.p.A. have signed an agreement that will provide JLG-branded specialty boom lifts to the access market. The agreement was announced at SAIE in Bologna, Italy, where both JLG and Hinowa exhibited their products ...
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Mi Mix 4 underdisplay selfie-camera confirmed in live photos
Xiaomi has been turning it on of late when it comes to delivering cutting-edge smartphone design and technology. The Mi Mix Alpha Concept Phone, which will be available late this year in limited quantities, completely re-writes the rules for the candy bar smartphone form factor by adopting a wraparound display. Now it looks like the company could be first to market with the first under-display selfie camera on a smartphone if leaked live photos of the Mix 4 are accurate.
We know that under-display camera technology is high on the list of features smartphone makers are trying to bring to market with Oppo demonstrating the technology earlier this year, while Essential and Apple are also said to be investigating the tech. Xiaomi also revealed that it has busy at work on integrating the technology into a smartphone as their explanation of the technology below demonstrates.
Until now, all-display smartphones have either had to integrate a mechanical pop-up camera or resorted to notches and display cut outs to integrate a selfie camera while trying to maximize screen real estate. If under-display camera technology works as advertised, it would help solve this dilemma once and for all. However, we don’t expect it to be perfect in the initial iterations, much like under-display finger-print readers, and there are hints in the photos that Xiaomi mightn’t be all the way there yet with the cameras seemingly visible through the display.


text: Development of the sandwich began in 2001 in response to several major factors.   After an overall sales decline of 17% coupled with a profit decline of 29%, Burger King held a series of consumer tests that showed the company's customer base was looking for a wider variety of options when making purchases.   Additional survey results revealed that a lack of newer products was discouraging consumers from visiting the chain.  Furthermore, the company was seeking to counter the threat to its sales by newer fast casual restaurants that had begun to bite into sales.  By July 2002, the chain had sold nearly fifty million of the sandwiches, eventually displacing the BK Broiler's initial launch figures as the company's best selling product introduction.   The successful introduction of the Chicken Whopper was one of the few noted positive highlights of the company during negotiations for the sale of Burger King by its then owner Diageo to a group of investors led by the TPG Capital ; Chicago-based consulting firm Technomic Inc. President Ron Paul was quoted that he was encouraged by recent product changes at Burger King such as the new Chicken Whopper, but he said it was too early to tell whether the changes have been successful.  Despite the Chicken Whopper's initial success, just over a year after the its introduction, enthusiasm for the product was waning; Burger King's largest franchisee, Carrols Corporation , was complaining that the product line was a failure, describing the sandwich as a pedestrian product with a great name.


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The results for grass seed producer DLF have never been this strong, DLF CEO Truels Damsgaard said when presenting their latest financial results.
The CEO called it a collective effort, as not one business area can be singled out above others when having such a great result. “However, our North American business unit has delivered an exceptionally good result, based on good old-fashioned business acumen. The market was read correctly, and we succeeded in exploiting the market and price dynamics almost optimally. The result was that the sale was completed at a historically high price level,” he said.
Earlier this year, Sportsfields.info wrote how the demand for natural grass (seeds), combined with poor harvest outputs in the past few years, have turned the US from an exporting nation to a major importer. The same applies to markets in Asia. You can read the article here.
“The full value chain presence on the four continents has made it possible to steer clear of the worst supply chain disruptions. On the back of a shortage situation in North America in the 2021/22 season following a poor harvest, our exports from Europe to North America broke a record. Never have so many Americans bought so much Danish-produced seed from DLF.
The downsizing and reduction of complexity in the businesses in Australia and South America was also hailed by the CEO. “It has paid off and we have had a very good performance in those geographies in fiscal year 2021/22.”


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DALLAS (AP) Southwest Airlines Co. claims fourth-quarter income chop down by means of virtually 50 % on bigger investing for fuel, toil and maintenance.
The airline's sales went up by slightly, however, as being the average fare climbed practically $8 beyond 1 year ago.
Southwest additionally said in which reservations to the earliest several many weeks of 2013 seem strong. It stated which depending on bookings and also citation selling prices therefore far, a new essential sales gauge must go up through 2 percent in order to three or more percentage within January weighed against the identical four week period continue year.
Southwest, your country's fourth-biggest airline, said Thursday of which world wide web revenue was $78 million, and also 11 cents every share. That's down out of $152 million, or something like 20 pence each share, annually earlier.
Excluding things for example supply contracts, online earnings might have recently been hunting for cents per share, winning over that 7-cents-per-share outlook among analysts surveyed by FactSet.
Revenue ticked in place 1.6 percent to be able to $4.17 million but droped brief with the $4.20 billion this analysts expected.
Expenses flower faster, however, by simply 3.1 percent. That features a 4.5 per cent boost around labor costs and also a 13 p'cent bounce around protection while the air travel ongoing to help renovate the log cabin renatls interior a lot of its planes.
Spending about fuel, your airline's biggest expense, increased by a small 0.7 percent. Southwest predicted that it's resource payment in the first quarter , which will ends March 31, could decrease in order to $3.30 for each gallon out of $3.44 inside initial quarter of 2012, which often CEO Gary Kelly known as "an encouraging trend."
The typical fourth-quarter air travel on Southwest and it is AirTran Airways subsidiary appeared to be $148.02, up 5.4 percent from $140.38 a year earlier.
Passengers flew 1.4 per cent lower miles upon Southwest over a calendar year earlier, and planes were a reduced amount of entire 79.6 percent occupancy, decrease through 80.5 percent.
For all of 2012, Southwest gained $421 million, upwards from $178 million the year in advance of as well as its 40th straight profitable year, which usually Kelly said has been "a exceptional feat and a report unmatched inside air travel industry."


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There is a lot of talk making the rounds about Apple buying Universal Music Group for upwards of $7 billion.
Why would Apple spend all of its available cash (and then some) to purchase a music company when it could just as easily sign licensing deals to access the same music? I think this Slashdot comment nails it. It’s a way to prevent Microsoft from shutting them out of the digital music equation. Microsoft, in retaliation, is obviously trying to drive the price up to punish Apple or to put the price out of its reach. It will be very interesting to see how this plays out.


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A new study conducted by Finland-based paper company Metsa Board has revealed that Finnish customers find paperboard to be a more responsible choice to pack cherry tomatoes than plastic packaging.
The study revealed paperboard cartons preserve cherry tomatoes for longer than plastic.
Metsa Board has partnered with Finnish vegetable co-operative Närpes Grönsaker for the study to compare cherry tomatoes cartons made of paperboard with plastic boxes.
Research was carried out in Finland through an external company, Sense N Insight, with a focus on consumer perceptions, food waste aspects and climate impact.
According to the study, most participants agreed that they prefer paperboard for its recyclability, however, they wanted the product to be better.
The study identified that customers are willing to pay more for the paperboard carton compared to the plastic box.
The Natural Resources Institute of Finland has conducted research to explore the shelf-life and climate effect of growing cherry tomatoes by packaging them in Metsä Board paperboard cartons, as well as plastic boxes made of recycled PET.
It was also estimated that the climate effect of a recycled PET container was six times higher than the average value of the paperboard cartons.
Climate effect was measured based on production and transportation data, as well as additional paperboard production information supplied by Metsä Board.


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Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
Wells is going to write once a week for The Cut, and her first piece will be online within the next couple days. "I’m eager for the adrenaline rush of writing and commenting quickly on beauty, fashion, fitness, diet, wellness and whatever else pops in my head," she told WWD.
This is reportedly one of a mix of projects Wells has in the works. The Cut's been a home lately for former print writers and editors to transition to the internet with at-large positions. Wells will join fashion critic Cathy Horyn, a fellow high-profile hire at The Cut who was scooped up last year.


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Android continues to muscle out U.S. competitors
The latest numbers for U.S. smartphones show Android taking a big lead into the holidays.
Following up on numbers from Canalys released earlier today, NPD is showing (via AllThingsD) that there isn’t any slowing Google’s (GOOG) Android express as it continues to take market share away from its competitors in the U.S. The gains continued even as Google’s competitors released high-profile phones: RIM’s (RIMM) Torch and Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone 4. Both appear to be doing well. But Android market share is now nearly as much as iOS and Blackberry
There was no shortage of phones released on the Android platform this quarter.
Sprint and Verizon released versions of the popular Galaxy S line which Samsung expects to sell over 10 million by the end of the year.
Motorola released about 10 Android handsets for the holidays and HTC is keeping pace with new phones almost every month.
Thanks to continued high-profile handset introductions, the Android smartphone operating system (OS) significantly grew its lead in the U.S. consumer smartphone market in the third quarter (Q3). According to The NPD Group, Android’s OS was installed in 44 percent of all smartphones purchased in Q3, an increase of 11 percentage points since Q2; Apple iOS held relatively steady versus last quarter, rising one percentage point to 23 percent; RIM OS, fell to third position, declining from 28 percent to 22 percent.
“Much of Android’s quarterly share growth came at the expense of RIM, rather than Apple,” said Ross Rubin, executive director of industry analysis for NPD. “The HTC EVO 4G, Motorola Droid X, and other new high-end Android devices have been gaining momentum at carriers that traditionally have been strong RIM distributors, and the recent introduction of the BlackBerry Torch has done little to stem the tide.”
But if you look at individual models, Blackberry and Apple still lead the pack. NPD’s top five phones (interesting that there was only one feature phone in the bunch):
1. Apple iPhone 4 (smartphone)
2. BlackBerry Curve 8500 series (smartphone)
3. LG Cosmos (messaging phone)
4. Motorola Droid X (smartphone)
5. HTC EVO 4G (smartphone)
Microsoft (MSFT) is expected to start grabbing back some of its share of U.S. consumer smartphone handsets as it releases a handful of phones on AT&T (T) and T-Mobile’s network for the holidays.


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HP is being sued over its acquisition of Autonomy and the $8.8 billion write-down the company took following that purchase. An investor for the tech giant filed a class action civil securities lawsuit and in the court filing the investor claims that HP offered misleading statements and other improprieties in Autonomy’s financials.
According to Reuters, the lawsuit was filed on Monday in San Francisco. At this time, it is not clear if HP CEO Meg Whitman is named as a defendant in the case. While CEO Leo Apotheker oversaw the Autonomy acquisition, it was fully endorsed by Whitman before she took over the reigns at Hewlett Packard.
HP announced the massive $8.8 billion write-down at the same time it announced fourth quarter earnings. HP lost $6.9 billion on $30 billion in revenue.
At the time of its acquisition, Hewlett Packard paid a 58 percent premium above Autonomy’s share price.
After filing its write-down, HP claims that Autonomy hid its finances and that the hidden financials were a “willful effort on behalf of certain former Autonomy employees to inflate the underlying financial metrics.”
Former Autonomy CEO Mike Lynch has since gone on the offensive, claiming that HP was simply trying to deflect blame at a time when the company has been unable to turn a profit.
HP has promised to file a lawsuit against Autonomy, although that lawsuit has yet to reach a petition to the court.
Analysts believe that more lawsuits will follow from investors who believe HP should have done its homework more thoroughly before spending $400 million for a company worth half that price.


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Support for black businesses after inaugural summit
Organisers of the recently held UK Black Business Entrepreneurs Conference (UKBBEC) say they are encouraged by the outpouring of support and engagement for locally owned black businesses from both public and private sectors across the UK.
The confab, hosted in London, was aimed at addressing the findings of a report which pointed to a disparity in the numbers of registered black-owned businesses and limited access to support for local entrepreneurs.
According to the B lack Entrepreneur Report 2021, 300 certified ethnically diverse businesses are registered in the UK, compared to the 71,467 that exist.
The UKBBEC is modelled on the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Summit (BEES), which is the largest gathering of black-owned businesses, entrepreneurs and wealth creators in the United States. That annual event takes place in Atlanta, Georgia.
The UK event was organised by Dr Carlton Brown, founder of Marshall & Brown, distributors of Jamaican fine foods, and attracted hundreds of entrepreneurs from across the UK. The management consultant, of Jamaican heritage, is also the publisher of the Black Entrepreneur Report 2021, which provides insight into enterprise within the UK.
Dr Brown said the response has been good: “People have reached out to me, both from public- and private-sector organisations, keen to provide support with diversity and inclusion.
“We are looking forward to discussing how our entrepreneurs can have better access to finance, skills, mentoring, and the procurement of contracts.
“The response from attendees at the conference has been very positive. They have already met buyers and new business relationships have started, with the goal of building genuine and progressive relationships.”
Ambassador of UKBBEC Bola Abisogun, OBE, believes the inaugural event at the NatWest Conference Centre is a stepping stone to address the concerns identified in the report.
Speaking to The Weekly Gleaner, the CEO of Urbanis, a construction and project management organisation, said: “When I was introduced to Dr Carlton last year, I said that if he was serious about taking the report to another level then a business event needed to be organised. I was humbled and surprised by many of the ideas discussed at the conference, which, in my opinion, brought the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Summit from Atlanta to London.
“It will help build confidence for future generations, by encouraging them to fulfil their potential.”
Attendees at the business event were able to network, and enjoyed discussions with policymakers, representatives of financial institutions, and decision-makers within public- and private-sector organisations.
Paul Hargreaves,the CEO of Cotswold Fayre, a speciality food and drink wholesale business which supplies over 1750 retail sites in the UK, and who attended the conference, believes the event has the potential to do even more.
Hargreaves is a B Corp ambassador, helping companies demonstrate their value to society and the environment.
Speaking to The Weekly Gleaner from Kenya, where he is encouraging African youth to aspire, Hargreaves said he was impressed by the conference: “It was fantastic and massively inspiring, and will encourage entrepreneurs to take financial risks in a bid to fulfil their business aspirations. He said there needs to be further discussions, on a wider platform, to fully address issues such as finance and the procurement of contracts, which were raised at the conference.
“There are companies who are keen to discuss contracts with minority-owned business, but who are unsure how to facilitate the process. Raising awareness of databases containing minority-owned business needs to be talked about more frequently. The conference was a good start,” he said.
The Federation of Small Businesses, Institute of Directors and chambers of commerce are being encouraged to maintain databases.
MSD UK, one of the exhibitors at the UKBBEC will host its 2022 conference and awards in September to connect diversity professionals with ethnic minority suppliers.


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Disney said today it is asking lawyers to take action over a flood of counterfeit toys being sold around Asia featuring characters from the smash hit movie The Incredibles.
Fake toys and merchandise are being sold across the region because toy shops are unable to keep up with demand for genuine items following the Disney-Pixar movie’s success.
The shortage was highlighted in Hong Kong where Toys R Us said last month it had been “kicking and screaming” for new supplies from licensee Hasbro but was still waiting.
Badly-made fake action figures are being sold across the former British territory, most of them apparently originating in China.
In a statement, a spokesman for Disney Consumer Products said: “We are aware of the counterfeit problems in Hong Kong and throughout Asia, and our legal department is currently investigating the most effective way to address the issue.
“Counterfeit products are a concern, not only because it is confusing to the consumer, but poor product quality can also be dangerous to children.”
He said Disney was trying to get additional merchandise to key Asian retailers by sourcing toys from “alternate sources” to address the shortage.
Mr Hayashi added: “Disney Consumer Products and our licensees plan to better adjust our forecasts and be more flexible to the market opportunity for our film merchandise so we can react faster to demand.”
Connie Lau of the Hong Kong Consumer Council said parents could be exposing their children to “unknown risks” if they buy fake toys for them.
“I am not saying cheap is bad, but if a toy which usually sells for around 10 US dollars is being sold for one US dollar, you should be suspicious,” she said.
“If you suspect it is a fake, don’t buy it. If you do you could be exposing your children to unknown risks.”
Fake toys can contain small parts that can choke children and may have been made with paint containing high levels of metals such as lead, she said.


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The KitKat wrapper is to undergo its biggest redesign in the bar’s 80-year history. One brand that will benefit from this promotional campaign is Google and its little known service called YouTube.
Nestlé is to produce more than 100 million specially designed packs. These will feature 72 different types of “breaks.”
One of the special wrappers will feature the words “YouTube break.” Around 600,000 KitKat wrappers will feature this particular break. Will this be enough to get people to browse YouTube while taking a break?
KitKat is celebrating its 80th anniversary, while YouTube turns 10 this year. It’s a big year for both brands.
This isn’t the first time that the two have collaborated. Google named its Android operating system 4.4 update KitKat after the chocolate bar. Chief executive of Nestle UK and Ireland, Fiona Kendrick, said that “it is really exciting to be taking the partnership to a new phase."


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Although car sales will continue to grow this fiscal through March at a fairly spanking rate of 12-13 per cent, this will still be half the rate of growth last year, according to industry body SIAM, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers.
The slowdown is mainly due to a shortage of auto parts and a higher sales base of the previous year, SIAM said on Thursday. Contributing factors are the new emission norms and higher raw material prices that have pushed up manufacturing costs, and the rise in interest rates, which are widely predicted to increase further.
Vehicle sales have been robust in Asia's third-largest automobile market in recent months, driven by new models, government stimulus efforts and generally rising incomes. Sales rose 30.8 per cent in June from a year earlier, underlining strong expansion in India's industrial sector. Car sales reached 141,184 units against 107,948 a year ago, while sales of trucks and buses grew 44 per cent to 52,211 units, SIAM data showed.
Over the last fiscal year, domestic car sales surged 25 per cent to 1.53 million units, the highest gain in six years.
But the immediate future may not be quite as rosy. Car sales are forecast to touch 1.71 million units this year, SIAM president Pawan Goenka told a news conference in Mumbai. Total sales of cars and sport-utility vehicles will likely reach 2.19 million units, he said.
"Supply constraints have put a little bit of strain on production," Goenka, who is also president of Mahindra & Mahindra's automotive division, said. "We expect these constraints to continue in the second quarter as well. We might see some slowing down of growth from the second quarter onward."
Buoyant economic activity and expectations of near-normal monsoon rains this year are also likely to boost automobile demand in India.


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Apple and AT&T have been hit with a $360 million lawsuit over the iPhone's Visual Voicemail feature.
A company called Klausner Technologies has filed a patent lawsuit under its visual voicemail patents, claiming damages and future royalties estimated at $360 million.
The lawsuit asserts that Apple's iPhone Visual Voicemail infringes Klausner Technologies' US Patents 5,572,576 and 5,283,818. The company claims to have successfully licensed these patents to various other companies, including for AOL, Vonage and others - though its licensing of technology to Vonage required a successful litigation in 2006.
The iPhone violates Klausner's intellectual property rights by allowing users to selectively retrieve voice messages using the iPhone's inbox display, the company claims.
The suit was filed by the California law firm of Dovel & Luner in a federal court in the Eastern District of Texas. "We have litigated this patent successfully on two prior occasions," said Greg Dovel of Dovel & Luner, counsel for Klausner Technologies. "With the signing of each new licensee, we continue to receive further confirmation of the strength of our visual voicemail patents."
Klausner Technologies describes itself as founded by Judah Klausner: "the inventor of the PDA and electronic organizer". Apple's original ground-breaking PDA, the Newton, was, in fact, covered under an OEM patent license granted by Judah Klausner over twenty years ago under his landmark US Patent 4,117,542.
Apple does not comment on pending litigation.


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(Shanghai, China) Ctrip, China’s leading Online Travel Agency (OTA), selected Guam as the recipient of “The Best Overseas Self-driving Tour Destination” award for its stunning coastal routes and driving experience.
The award was voted by over 25 million Ctrip users online and judged by a professional judging panel during Ctrip’s annual travel forum on March 6, 2018, at the Shanghai Ploy Grand Theater. This year’s event focused on self-driving tours, which seeks to capture and inspire the trend of self-driving travel.
“The Guam Visitors Bureau is honored and excited to accept this award for the entire island community,” said Nathan Denight, GVB President and CEO. “Guam is a perfect self-driving destination and we are extremely proud to promote our pristine coastline, picturesque landscapes and unique cultural and historical sites to our visitors. Self-driving is probably the best way to discover all of these hidden gems. With the rising trend of self-drive travel in China, we are hopeful to welcome even more Chinese visitors.”
Ctrip was founded in 1999 in Shanghai, China. The company is a leading provider of travel services including accommodation reservations, transportation ticketing, packaged tours and corporate travel management.
Media Contact: JOSH TYQUIENGCO - Public Information Officer


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The Government is working to ensure that there is a pool of skilled local workers available to operate in the Global Logistics Hub, when it is developed.
Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Anthony Hylton, said that the process has already begun to secure this cohort, with a significant training initiative to begin soon.
“We are about to sign a co-operation agreement with Panama and we’re going to discuss a similar arrangement with Dubai in which we propose to send some people …to begin that training exercise so that when we come on stream, hopefully on a phased basis, we will have more and more of our people trained and prepared and ready to participate,” he said.
Minister Hylton was addressing a Trade and Global Logistics Hub Luncheon Forum hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) Jamaica on Wednesday, April 17, at the Spanish Court Hotel.
The Government’s Global Logistics Hub initiative is aimed at taking advantage of the anticipated increase in maritime activities from the expansion of the Panama Canal, which is scheduled for completion in 2015.
The Minister further informed that the old Machado building at South Camp Road is being converted to facilitate all local logistics training, adding that the Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI) is also being expanded “to respond to this (need)”.
“In the final analysis, where the critical skills would come from to ‘jump start’ the process, we’re prepared to embrace that, because…a number of our people (would be) trained so that in the medium to longer-term, they would be running these operations… and that includes our Diaspora, who have signaled their willingness (to offer their services),” he said.
In developing the hub, which will position the country as the world’s fourth node in the global supply and logistics chain, the Government is now moving ahead to prepare the workforce, build out the necessary infrastructure, and put in place the legislative arrangements.
The key elements of the Government’s global logistics hub initiative are: development of the Caymanas Economic Zone; dredging of the Kingston Harbour; expanding the port facility at Fort Augusta and Gordon Cay; establishing a Dry Dock facility at Jackson Bay, Clarendon; establishing a transshipment commodity port facility near Yallahs, St. Thomas; and developing an air cargo and passenger facility at Vernamfield, in Clarendon.
The initiative was unveiled last year and is one of the planks on which the Government intends to grow the Jamaican economy.
By Alecia Smith-Edwards, JIS Reporter


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By John Williamson, CEO & Founder, Qualvu
The breakneck pace at which smartphones are being adopted is arguably the biggest story in the history of technological diffusion, and it’s a story that has significant cost, quality and speed implications for market researchers.
Four years ago, Apple sold almost two million iPhone 4’s in its first three days on the market. To date, they’ve sold 57 million. Last year, more than 300 million mobile phones were sold in the first quarter alone. Fifty-four million of those were smartphones – phones capable of running a variety of applications and featuring integrated browsers to connect to the Internet. Google’s Android operating system is growing 866% year-over-year, with more than 160,000 new Android phones activated every day. Worldwide, five billion persons – more than 70% of the world’s population – have mobile phones.
In the U.S., nine out of ten have a mobile phone, and 31% of those – about 73 million – have a smartphone. It’s estimated that within four years, 43% of mobile users will be using smartphones.
With the growth of smartphones has come an equally explosive growth in applications. One billion apps are being downloaded every year. The iPad app store has 11,000 apps, and the Android marketplace has 70,000. Both are dwarfed by the Apple iPhone app store with its 225,000 apps. Three billion apps have been downloaded since the app store was launched.
Denver-based online qualitative research firm Qualvu believes that the smartphone is poised to make a significant impact on how consumers communicate and get information to and from companies, and how businesses can reach consumers, be it to conduct commerce or to harvest feedback.
The benefits of mobile research are obvious: in-the-moment, relevant consumer feedback, given at the precise time a consumer is evaluating, purchasing or using a product or service.
Through the use of smartphones, Internet-based video for qualitative research can be expanded to elicit critical marketing intelligence — to bring business questions to where the consumers are, at their convenience and on their terms. This has allowed companies, through hundreds of online projects, to get into consumers’ lives in ways that other methods cannot deliver, turning virtually every moment into a market research opportunity. Consumers report back what a business needs to know, on camera, and to offer information that the company might not have even thought to ask.
Panelists respond through their smartphones (“on-the-go”), which makes research more inclusive than ever by allowing companies to connect with hard-to-reach audiences. Businesses are still able to share specific stimuli, but now, the world that surrounds participants stimulates them — at the times when they interact with brands, products, and services and what they have in front of their eyes in those key moments of truth.
The ultimate goal is to facilitate continuous, candid and relevant communication between brands and consumers, allowing businesses to make better decisions to ensure that their strategies dovetail with their consumers’ needs.
Another dividend of using smartphones is economy. Companies save by not having to organize focus groups, or even to supply respondents with video equipment.
Given where the tech-enabled consumer world is going and how new technologies are changing the way we live and share information, this seemed like the next progression for a company like Qualvu that has worked hard to make qualitative research accessible to all businesses, from start-ups, to small businesses, to the world’s leading brands. Everyone needs better consumer insights – the truth – to make better business decisions. Today, the truth isn’t found by Diogenes using a lamp; it’s found by everyday consumers using the ubiquitous smartphone.


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Cool Carriers will bring its Coolman Central America and West Indies service to Dover Cargo Terminal for onward distribution to UK and European markets from January 2018.
The company, which has invested heavily in boosting both the palletised and container capacities of its fleet, says its decision was prompted in part by the Port’s flagship Dover Western Docks Revival project which will create a new cargo terminal and logistics hub.
“We will move the UK discharge operation for our Coolman Service to Dover as of January 2018," said Michael Bergman, line manager at Cool Carriers. “There are various reasons behind our decision, such as Dover’s geographical location in relation to our clients’ distribution centres, as well as the massive infrastructure investment at the Port, and our requirements for the efficient handling of our new vessels which will enter service in early 2020.”
The move comes as Coolman celebrates 20 years as a preferred service provider for clients favouring a dedicated and exclusive operation which offers Controlled Atmosphere and shortest transit time to the UK, he added.
Cool Carriers will predominantly ship bananas and pineapples from Costa Rica, Colombia and the Dominican Republic to Port of Dover Cargo Ltd, which specialises in handling time sensitive perishable foods.
The new facilities, due to come on stream towards the end of next year, will include two new cargo berths (251m and up to 350m); a cargo terminal building with eight temperature controlled compartments, each capable of holding cargo between +1 and +14 degrees Celsius; and significant mobile harbour cranes capable of handling up to post panama size vessels.
Sam Stewart, General Manager at Port of Dover Cargo Ltd said: “Cool Carriers’ decision to come to Dover is excellent news. Port of Dover Cargo’s strength lies in its fast transport links to the wider UK and Continent. We’re just over 20 miles from mainland Europe and sit on one of the busiest international shipping lanes on Earth, providing minimum vessel deviation.
“Our new facilities and experienced operational staff will ensure the best possible handling of Cool Carriers’ cargo and we look forward to working alongside this outstanding industry leader," Stewart added.


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22 May 2018, Johannesburg: “Globally, cashless mobile payments are expected to grow five-fold and reach $30 trillion by 2022, according to ARK Invest. This illustrates huge potential for businesses across the continent that are catering to largely unbanked consumers with high smartphone adoption,” said Mic Mann, co-organiser of SingularityU South Africa Summit 2018 and SingularityU Johannesburg chapter leader.
In a world where exponential technologies are becoming more ubiquitous, it’s crucial to understand how to incorporate them into our businesses to remain relevant and grow, as well as how they are also being used to solve some of the world’s grand challenges.
In the run up to the highly-anticipated SingularityU South Africa Summit 2018, the South African SingularityU chapter hosts a number of non-profit events aimed at strengthening the community. The first in the ‘Future of’ series of chapter events, which addressed the Future of Finance, took place in Johannesburg and Cape Town on the 16th and 17th of May, respectively. The focus was on the rise in cashless and frictionless payment systems, the blockchain and digital currencies, and the regulation thereof.
Speakers at the SingularityU Johannesburg Chapter event included, Antoinette Hoffman – Head of Digital Payment Wallets at Standard Bank Group (the headline sponsor for the SingularityU South Africa Summit); Arif Ismail – Head of Fintech at the South African Reserve Bank; and Nasreen Saunders – Consultant at the Blockchain Academy. The SingularityU Cape Town Chapter event speakers Arif Ismail and Nasreen Saunders were joined by Brad McGrath – co-founder of Zoona and Rupert Sully – Head of Sales and Business Development at SnapScan.
Cashless, frictionless and deviceless payments
While payment solutions have evolved over time, there are still some challenges that need to be addressed to make the world cashless. Antoinette Hoffman explained: “We have learned that it is not the technology that is the challenge, but rather the payment ritual. Cash is king – across the African continent, more so than in South Africa. The challenge is to get the customer to choose the cashless option at the point of sale, which is not always easy. The convenience of cash always being accessible and available with ATMs at every corner, gives that warm feeling of security that nothing can go wrong. Everyone accepts cash. There is no point of sale that will reject cash because of the perceived notion that fraud doesn’t happen with cash. You have the money in your hand.”
Exponential technologies are removing cash from the equation slowly but surely. More consumers and vendors are making and receiving payments using payment innovations that leverage smartphones, such as SnapScan, Zapper, Zoona and YoCo, among numerous others. They modify front-end processes to improve the customer and merchant experience, without disrupting the underlying payments infrastructure.
Integrated billing solutions allow customers and merchants to transact on integrated mobile shopping platforms with ease and security. Hoffman added that “The future of payments is about reducing the use of cash. Data-driven customer engagement platforms and customer behaviour change at the point of interaction – this will be key in driving the success of reducing cash in the future”. She highlighted the characteristics of successful cashless payment innovations as follows:
- Interoperability – the solution needs to be developed in collaboration with what the customer wants, for example, one app that addresses all payment solutions.
- Simplicity – the solution needs to be easy to use and navigate to drive extensive usage.
- Value-added services – the solution must provide an incentive that will encourage usage, for example a lower cost-option for transactions.
Blockchain and cryptocurrency
Blockchain allows for more direct payment and bookkeeping solutions that eliminate the need for middle-man mediators. Nasreen Saunders explained how BitPesa, which was founded by Elizabeth Rossiello in Nairobi in 2013, is eliminating the high costs associated with cross-border payments across the continent. “Today BitPesa’s largest customer segment are remittance companies, who have reported that BitPesa halves their cost of doing business,” she said.
The BitPesa model complements the banking industry by addressing underserved clients, upselling to existing clients, and adding to intra-bank efficiency. There is a compliance check at every stage of each of their fund-flows, which allows the model to mitigate the risks normally associated with digital currency transactions.
Saunders noted the rise in blockchain applications beyond the financial space, including its use in the publication of medical and public records, to register land rights, execute legal contracts, for voting, and to certify supply chains, among others.
Through crowdfunding platform Usizo Project, Emaweni Primary school in Soweto had Bankymoon Bitcoin-funded, smart-energy meters installed. The meters allow anyone to make Bitcoin payments directly to the meter to fund the energy and water needs of the school. “This revolutionary approach to foreign-aid removes the need for donors to make contributions via an organisation, which adds costs, and it distributes funds transparently. Donors can now directly fund the causes they believe in and it decreases the probability of fraud, as well as squandered funds,” said Saunders.
Brothers Brett and Brad Magrath founded fintech platform Zoona to cater to Africa’s primarily cash-based economies, high unemployment rate and the limited access to formal financial services. “As a solution to overcome this, we developed a financial application that enables grass-root entrepreneurs to become agents, who not only provide key financial services to their communities, but also earn an income for themselves at the same time,” said Brad Magrath. “Creating value lies in solving the customers’ problems and companies that do this will win.”
Rupert Sally noted, “The change has been in the ways that we are addressing challenges differently and this is where innovative solutions come into play. At SnapScan we are experimenting with person-to-person transfers, which is fascinating in that it is about people paying one another, instead of a person paying a business. We are investigating whether payments can go into e-wallet or how one can transact. We are looking at how we can make this easy and convertible.”
Regulation in support of disruption and innovation
The rise in adoption of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies are demanding new regulations as transactions become more agile, and their reporting more dynamic and automated.
“Regulators now need to balance their rules and principles to support, rather than hinder, innovation. Global collaboration and co-operation with standard-setting bodies will be key and regulators will shift to build staff capacity through deep knowledge on exponential technologies,” said Arif Ismail. “Highly effective regulators will work to create innovation facilitators such as hubs and sandboxes to keep close to emerging developments and foster shared learning.”
Ismail noted seven phenomena and their implications that financial regulators should consider when drawing up national and global regulations. These include: Artificial Intelligence and autonomous technologies; biotechnology and nanotechnology; cloud and Q-computing; distributed data, ledgers and big data; the current energy landscape; fintech; GAFA (an acronym for the world’s largest tech companies: Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon) and e-platforms.
“Through continued conversations and sharing of information between different disciplines and industries, we open up the possibility for innovative solutions to answer the African continent’s challenges,” said Mann in closing.
About the SingularityU South Africa Summit
In its second year, the two-day SingularityU South Africa Summit – hosted in collaboration with Standard Bank, global partner Deloitte and strategic partners HP, Liberty, SAP and MTN – continues its quest to accelerate South Africa’s culture of innovation. The summit will bring together some of the world’s most forward-thinking individuals and the continent’s most curious minds to help #futureproofAfrica.
Delegates at the 2018 SingularityU South Africa Summit can expect compelling presentations and discussions on exponential technologies that can be used to create positive change and foster economic growth on the continent. Popular Singularity University speakers Ramez Naam and David Roberts are returning and will be joined on stage by:
- Aubrey de Grey – biomedical gerontologist, mathematician and longevity expert
- Jason Dunn – co-founder of Made in Space
- Tiffany Vora – Singularity University Principal Faculty in Medicine and Digital Biology
- Jody Medich – Director of Design for SU Labs, speaking about Augmented, Virtual and Extended Reality
- Stacey Ferreira – Entrepreneur and bestselling author of 2 billion under 20
Save the date for the mind-expanding, innovation-stimulating, SingularityU South Africa Summit 2018, taking place at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on the 15th and 16th of October 2018. Join the SingularityU Chapter events here: https://singularityuglobal.org/chapters. To learn more about the SingularityU South Africa Summit visit: https://2018.singularityusouthafricasummit.org/. For a media pass, contact Yolanda Zondo: Yolanda.Zondo@edelman.com or +27(0)11-504-4000.
About Singularity University:
Singularity University is a global community that uses exponential technologies to tackle the world’s biggest challenges. Our learning and innovation platform empowers individuals and organisations with the mindset, skillset and network to build break-through solutions that leverage emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, and digital biology. With our community of entrepreneurs, corporations, development organisations, governments, investors, and academic institutions, we have the necessary ingredients to create a more abundant future for all.


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JS Bank earlier paid the Netflix subscription of its customers. The news came as a surprise to the customers since the bank had made no such announcement.
To clarify, Netflix is a popular streaming platform that offers a wide variety of series and movies for its customers. Netflix subscription plan ranges from Rs 250 to Rs 1100.
The news initially broke when #JSBLNetflixSurprise began trending on Twitter. Customers flooded the social media platform by claiming that they received a message from JS Bank stating that it will reverse their Netflix payment. Important to note, only customers holding JS Bank’s platinum debit card received the message.
“This one is on us! We will reverse this month’s Netflix fee debited from your account within three days. Enjoy your free time on Netflix,” the message generated by the bank said.
Reacting to the news, Twitteratis appreciated the bank and expressed excitement. Many even began asking movie suggestions to watch on Netflix!
— Adnan Alam 🇵🇰 (@AdnanAlams) November 30, 2021
Interestingly, JS Bank has become Pakistan’s first bank to pay for customers’ Netflix subscriptions. This is indeed a remarkable marketing technique as many Twitteratis claimed that they too will switch to JS Bank.
PM Khan recognizes JS Bank
Owing to its services, JS Bank receives a lot of appreciation. Earlier, PM Imran Khan recognized JS Bank as the best private sector bank under the Kamyab Jawan Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme (KJ YES).
In a bid to empower the youth, JS Bank provided value-added financial offerings and services to build entrepreneurial spirit. Under KJ YES, the bank created over 4000 jobs by distributing more than 1,000 loans with a cumulative value of over Rs4.5 billion.
Prime Minister Imran Khan congratulated JS Bank for its efforts to create livelihoods and said that the efforts of the bank are a benchmark for the financial industry.


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Two of Eight New Restaurants Use Healthier Cooking Oils
PITTSBURGH – The Allegheny County Health Department today reported that seventeen new food establishments opened in the County last month, including eight restaurants, a school cafeteria, two convenience stores, one retailer, a caterer, one coffee house, two confectionaries and a grocery store.
“The Health Department’s monthly reports identify which new restaurants use trans-fat free cooking oils, and two out of the eight restaurants opening last month cook with these healthier oils,” said Acting County Health Director Dr. Ron Voorhees.
The restaurants using trans-fat free cooking oils are Luke Wholey’s Wild Alaskan Grille, 2106 Penn Avenue, Strip District and Bubba’s Gourmet Burghers And Beer, 3109 Washington Pike, Suite 103, South Fayette.
Six other restaurants opened in August – Donte’s Pizzeria, 3805 Willow Avenue, Castle Shannon; Lola Bistro, 1100 Galveston Avenue, North Side; D’Andreas Italian Deli, 1914 Brownsville Road, Carrick; Steel Cactus, 5505 Walnut Street, Shadyside; New Jeans Southern Café, 807 Wallace Avenue, Wilkinsburg; and City Café, 951 Liberty Avenue, Downtown.
Nine additional food establishments opened last month – Mel’s Mini Market, 2139 Pioneer Avenue, Brookline; Jeannette White’s Catering, 3852 Saxonburg Boulevard, Indiana; Crazy Mocha, 5 Station Square Drive, Station Square; Sweet Shoppe & Nut House, Collier Town Square Shopping Center, 1597 Washington Pike, Collier; Kathmandu Mini Mart, 2950 Brownsville Road, Carrick; Sincerely Yogurt, 2740 Strochein Road, Monroeville; Marty’s Market, 2301 Smallman Street, Strip District; Bottom Dollar Food, 7221 McKnight Road, Ross; and Rosedale Technical Institute, 215 Beecham Drive, Robinson.
For more information, call 412-687-ACHD (2243).
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One of the most popular names when it comes to the world of gaming, the Final Fantasy series of games have been bringing forward a major change in the markets of technology as we know them to be. The company has been bringing forward several innovations in the world of gaming, and among several of their titles, the Final Fantasy XIV happens to be one of the most popular games. However, the game, despite crossing all levels of popularity, was still missing for the XBOX One.
However, the XBOX One users might soon be able to finally play Final Fantasy XIV on their consoles! The biggest reason due to which the game was never released for the XBOX One OS was the fact that the XBOX One does not allow gamers from different consoles to play together in one server. Things, however, are all set to change, as the companies have been in talks over this issue, and it looks like Final Fantasy XIV is indeed making its way into the XBOX One consoles –
“[I]n addition to natively supporting cross-platform play between Xbox One and Windows 10 games that use Xbox Live, we’re enabling developers to support cross-network play as well,” wrote Chris Charla Director of ID@Xbox (Microsoft’s indie game developer program) in a post announcing its Game Developers Conference plans. “This means players on Xbox One and Windows 10 using Xbox Live will be able to play with players on different online multiplayer networks – including other console and PC networks.”
“Microsoft actually approached the Final Fantasy XIV team about the cross-platform opportunity,” Naoki Yoshida, the game’s director told Polygon. “When our team reviewed the regulations that are associated with that, we realized that Microsoft may not have the experience or understanding of running an MMORPG as an online game genre just yet. The Final Fantasy XIV team has fed back to Microsoft that there are certain elements of its regulations that we would have to consider waived. We’re waiting on Microsoft’s response for that, but we are having discussions.”


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On Christmas morning this year, you can prepare a few eggs sous vide with applewood bacon and cave-aged gruyere, just like WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg makes them. For Christmas dinner, a couple of double-marinated tenderloins, prepared according to the recipe from the Swede behind Spotify, Daniel Ek, could be on the menu. And for dessert, why not finish with eggnog cinnamon scones from the kitchen of Randi Zuckerberg, sister of Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg?
These and several dozen other recipes can be found in a new cookbook, The Startup Chef, available exclusively as an ebook. The project -- which was the brainchild of Hunter Walker and Maya Baratz, product executives at Google and ABC News, respectively -- aggregates recipes from approximately 70 entrepreneurs, investors and technology journalists as a way to raise money for, appropriately enough for a cookbook, the hungry.
Is it ridiculous? Yes. Pretentious? Slightly. But big-hearted of these Silicon Valleyites? Definitely.
The one recipe that inevitably caught our eye was the "Chocolate iPhone" by Brit Morin, founder of lifestyle brand Brit + Co. Check out how to make it below. For the rest of the recipes, order the ebook for a minimum donation of $10 here.


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In light of the upcoming LDC graduation, exporters need to proactively prepare for changes.
The World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) decision to continue LDC-linked trade benefits for graduating least-developed countries will not only help Bangladesh avoid potential export losses for several years beyond 2026 but also allow it to attract much-needed investments, experts said.
Munshi made the comments after a meeting of the commerce ministers of the Commonwealth nations at the Marlborough House in London between June 5 and 6.
Self-contradictory is what best describes Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal’s fifth budget, and the last of the Awami League-led government’s current term.
The government will soon find an alternative for cash subsidies on export so that local exporters can remain competitive even after Bangladesh graduates from the list of least developed countries (LDCs) in 2026, according to experts.
The lobbying will start from next month
Bangladesh needs proper macroeconomic management to avoid middle income trap
Bangladesh and other graduating least-developed countries (LDCs) might not have received a clear-cut extension of the current duty-free trade benefit at the ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) that concluded today (June 17, 2022), but their demand was recognised at the declaration.


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By: O. Lotufo
Overconsumption has been a major issue for years on end. And, in recent years, with the surge of digital media and the growth of technology, such concern has grown exponentially; Be it by always keeping your phone up to date by buying the newest version, purchasing fast-fashion garments that will surely deteriorate after their first wash, or ordering products trending on TikTok that you’ll surely never use again after its hype dies out, everyone has, at some point, overconsumed.
However, with the escalation of sustainable education and awareness, people have begun to change their consumption patterns. With environmental degradation becoming more apparent each year, we have realized that change must come quick if we are to avoid permanent ecological damages, and many are doing their part. For example, countries such as Iceland have entirely switched to renewable energy (getting its electricity from hydro and geothermal power), ending their fossil fuel consumption.
Nevertheless, what continues to be a major source of overconsumption is fashion. It is said that, since 1996, “the amount of clothes bought in the EU per person has increased by 40% following a sharp fall in prices”; more shockingly is that on average, a piece of clothing is worn 7 times before being discarded, and the environment is suffering the consequences, with the increasing fast-fashion pollution in Atacama (Chile) as an example. This has mainly occurred because of the increase in production pace and magnitude from massive companies such as Shein. Its immense variety of products and ability to keep up the latest trends, paired with extremely low prices, are appealing to the public.
Though what consumers are now starting to realize is that social-media trends are fleeting, quality trumps quantity, and environmental protection is of major importance, hence the emergence of slow-fashion. Many brands and consumers are now prioritizing sustainable production, aiming to manufacture and obtain timeless and durable garments. What has also increased is the popularity of second-hand stores, especially amongst the younger generations.
The most important thing is to remain informed; know what brands and materials to avoid, purchase only when necessary, and prioritize donations and second-hand stores. With each consumer doing their part, sustainable consumption will be a worldwide pattern, overconsumption will be a thing of the past, and the environment will be grateful.


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Classic cars that break records are always going to be remembered. When they go on sale, it’s worth hearing about, especially when it’s the Jabbeke Triumph TR2. Driven by Ken Richardson, the car set a record of 124.889 mph on the Jabbeke motorway in 1953. This makes it arguably the most important TR in history and it’s being sold for £300,000 by Glen Hewett.
The TR2 debuted at the 1953 Geneva Motor Show, with Standard-Triumph’s Managing Director Sir John Black deciding it would be speed tested at Jabbeke. The carriageway had a history of being tested by British manufacturers like Jaguar and Healey.
Engineer Ken Richardson was chosen to drive the car because he’d contributed to redeveloping the TR2 before its 1953 launch. The car featured a cockpit cover, plastic windshield and undershield for improved streamlining. A significant amount of hype surrounded the TR2, as shown from a report in Motor Sport. “We have waited a long time for the sports Triumph to be anything more than an exhibit on show stands, but this sensational news from Belgium makes it look as if the Coventry sports car is well worth waiting for.”
After the car set the record, it was sold by Welbeck Motors in 1956 for £650. By 1971, it had been dismantled and in 1972 it was sold in a boxed state. When Hewett found the TR2 it was “absolutely dilapidated and rusted away.” This led to a full restoration that brought the car back to its former glory.
The restoration of the TR2 is a pivotal moment in car history. If the car hadn’t set the Jabbeke speed record, the future of Triumph may have been in doubt. The record had an important impact on the industry. It’ll be interesting to see where the TR2 ends up next.


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Frogs, fish, fire and the daily work of the FDA ... just some of the QMS topics that surfaced in July.
We have said it before and we will say it again, but quality is under pressure. And while the average person might not be directly effected by a quality pain point, brands are increasingly aware that their internal and external quality management systems could unwittingly be the catalyst for unwanted media and consumer attention.
Type “product recalls” into the ubiquitous internet search engine and you get around 105,000,000 results in approximately 1.02 seconds. Filter that in terms of actual news stories and it takes less than a second to bring up over 21 million tales of quality-centric woe. The food and beverage industry will, thanks to the potential impact on the general population, generate most of these hits, but the simple truth is that everything we need to know about a potential problem is hidden in plain sight.
ETQ’s long-standing mantra is that quality creates limitless possibilities. The caveat is that those possibilities can be the difference between success and failure. Companies that have effective quality management systems in place can likely sleep well at night … the ones that don’t might as well operate in the Upside Down.
With that in mind, let’s take a quick look at some recent news related to quality issues that floated across our radar in July.
FDA warnings are issued for a reason
Shrugging off an FDA warning might seem to be a good idea at the time, but food and beverage companies that don’t integrate the agency’s recommendations are walking a food safety tightrope.
Food Safety News (FSN) reported that the FDA was unable to confirm whether or not Texas-based Topway Enterprises had acted upon the findings of an inspection at a seafood processing facility, with the company reportedly resuming operations without implementing the recommended corrective actions. Topway had been warned on numerous occasions about the compliance issues at the facility but failed to address these problems and continued to ship products to restaurants and food retailers.
These violations – which stemmed from an FDA inspection in February – would make even the most devoted seafood fan think twice about eating Topway’s products. The inspectional observations included but were not limited to poor employee sanitation and production practices, pools of black water on the fish cooler floors, uncleaned utensils and the accumulation of residues on seafood processing tables.
As a result of this laissez-faire attitude to product quality (which included extensive sanitation issues and several positive tests for listeria), the FDA said that it was suspending the facility’s registration as per the requirements of the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The company had, the agency said, displayed an unwillingness to not only correct “severe violations” but also cease any operations that were knowingly shipping products that were unsafe for public consumption.
No HACCP, No U.S. Import
Media theorist Marshall McLuhan’s oft-cited concept of the global village may have had its roots in evolving communication technologies, but the availability of exotic foods from across the world has made the theory a reality. As you might expect, this has made overseas compliance with local food safety regulations a hot topic in terms of product quality.
FSMA, for instance, made compliance with domestic standards one of its cornerstones, and the FDA has stepped up the pressure on both importers and international food producers. And not every foreign company is playing ball.
According to FSN, the FDA has “unresolved issues” with a Japanese seafood processing company, describing most of the responses to an inspection as not adequate in terms of compliance with U.S. food safety regulations. Tokyo-based Tsukiji Motohiko reportedly does not operate with a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan, a standard part of a quality management system that addresses the analysis and control of the biological, chemical and physical hazards that relate to the production of raw food.
The FDA has told Tsukiji Motohiko that it must follow a HACCP plan or risk losing its right to export seafood products to the U.S. Without this QMS process in place, the company’s vacuum-packed fish is likely to be adulterated. In other words, packed and processed under insanitary conditions and liable to be contaminated with allergens or dangerous toxins.
The Japanese company has – to date – ignored the warnings from the FDA, and its lack of a HACCP plan is likely to mean that its U.S. agent will also be hit with costs related to the ongoing non-compliance.
Fresh food is good for you …
Common wisdom dictates that fresh fruits and vegetables are the key to a healthy lifestyle. This may well be true, but the health-conscious among us should be aware that other creatures also enjoy a salad.
FSN reported that parasites are hitching a ride on a wide range of fresh produce, spreading multiple cases of Cyclosporiasis across Michigan. The intestinal disease is normally found in tropical or subtropical regions, so its increased presence in the Wolverine State is ringing alarm bells.
Health officials believe that the microscopic parasites are unlikely to be domestic, and warned that the contamination will be difficult to trace back to any one point in the supply chain.
“Cyclospora contamination often occurs prior to the food arriving at a food distribution center and restaurants,” said Tim Slawinski, Michigan’s Food and Dairy Division director, in an interview with FSN. “This type of contamination is not easily removed by standard produce rinsing.”
On the plus side, the average consumer can’t see the parasites. Which is a distinct bonus when you think about the kinds of unwanted surprises that might have already hopped on board the supply chain.
A recent study by the University of Illinois, cited by FSN, found that over 50 percent of 40 reported food safety incidents involving animals in packaged produce involved frogs, with lizards, snakes, mice, birds and a bat also discovered in salad greens and mixed vegetables.
Fresh produce has become extremely popular in the U.S., the authors of the report said, but the average consumer is probably not expecting to find a dead animal in their leafy greens. The problem is not that these creatures have been included in the packing process, but that it is unclear as to whether this constitutes a food safety crisis or a food quality management issue.
In addition, there is a possibility that these animals may be carrying some sort of disease, although the report noted that outbreaks of food-borne illness from a deceased Pacific Treefrog are rare.
The study, which looked at reports dating back to 2003, said that 95 percent of the incidents had occurred between 2008 and 2018, and noted that frequency had increased significantly in recent years as more producers introduce industrial-scale harvesting processes. And while automation and speed to market have had an effect on product quality, a human-centric alternative is not always feasible.
“You’d have to spend minutes checking each plant,” said the study’s lead author Daniel Hughes. “Romaine, for example, is lettuce folded on lettuce, where it’s easy for moisture-seeking frogs to hide. From a business perspective, can you really spend minutes to check each leaf?”
Curious about supply chain visibility? Download this ETQ whitepaper to find out how to solve the challenges.
Copy editing is a quality pain point
Avid consumers of content might find obvious typos or errors extremely frustrating in digital or print media, but a misprint in an instruction manual for a kitchen appliance could have far-reaching consequences in terms of public safety.
The Independent reported that consumer electronics company Bush has contacted hundreds of customers after a typing error was found in the manual for an oven. According to the news source, the misprint was in the section that related to the cable connection, which essentially meant that anyone who installed the appliance using the provided instructions could wire the connector box wrong. This would cause the oven to overheat, the company said, and increase the risk of fire.
When you consider that a malfunctioning fridge-freezer was the root cause of London’s residential Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, then the need to make sure that installation instructions are accurate becomes clear. Seventy-two people died in the Grenfell incident, for instance, with more than 70 other residents injured. And while a typo might not appear on the surface to be a quality concern, it takes on added significance when electronics or electric appliances are involved.
Automaker proactively prevents engine fires
Sticking with the prospect of an unexpected fire, the BBC reported that Volvo would be undertaking a global recall of over 500,000 cars due to a fault in the engine.
The recall affects diesel vehicles produced by the Swedish automaker between 2014 to 2019, with the company telling customers that “in very rare cases” a plastic component in the engine. manifold can melt. Volvo stressed that the chances of the car catching fire were minimal, but it was taking a proactive stance to the issue.
Volvo has long been associated with car safety, and the company constantly cites this feature as one of its core values. In addition, Volvo is considered to be a leader in the field of safety innovations, with the company recently investing in tech startups that are focused on identifying not only tiny faults that could have a bearing on a vehicle's performance but also the quality of the cars as they come off the production line.
Employee discovers undeclared peanuts
Creating a culture of quality in an organization is often viewed as a long-term project, but it always helps if the workforce proactively calls out a potential issue.
A recent recall of chocolate chip cookie dough bars by an Illinois food and beverage company was sparked by an employee biting into a bar and discovering that the product tasted of peanut, FSN reported. The labeling made no mention of peanut, and the bar was marketed as being nut-free.
The unidentified worker did not have a peanut allergy, but those who do run the risk of an extreme or even life-threatening allergic reaction if they inadvertently consume the popular legume. Thankfully, no illnesses were reported, and the bar’s manufacturer – JuJu Bakes LLC – attributed the problem to a temporary breakdown in the production and processing systems.
ETQ's stated belief that quality creates limitless possibilities is one of the reasons that companies trust us to deliver effective software solutions. Our quality management software features built-in best practices and best-in-class flexibility, both of which allow brands to optimize the critical processes that drive excellence through quality.
To find out more about how ETQ can help your organization along its quality journey, contact us today. Alternatively, reach out to our quality professionals and ask for a demo of our Reliance 2019 SaaS solution.